Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

AirTag keeps beeping

dexterie

dexterie

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 4, 2015
231
200
BE, EU
Hello!
So, we’ve been using an AirTag to track our cat. It’s in a collar.
The tag is associated with my phone and I’m currently on a trip and my partner (who stayed home) complains that the AirTag keeps randomly beeping because I’m not around. Battery is new, so not a problem..
What settings should I use so this doesn’t happen?
Thank you
 
I don’t know if I dreamt it, but I thought that with iOS 17, they were going to release an update where you could share air tags. This is an oft-requested feature and would suit your needs perfectly. Here’s hoping…
 
  • Love
Reactions: dexterie
StumpyBloke said:
I don’t know if I dreamt it, but I thought that with iOS 17, they were going to release an update where you could share air tags. This is an oft-requested feature and would suit your needs perfectly. Here’s hoping…
Click to expand...
It’s no dream! Just note that both people have to be on iOS 17 (Or presumably iPadOS 17). I shared to someone not using the developer beta and it doesn’t show up for them despite being added on my end.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1502.jpeg
    IMG_1502.jpeg
    260.4 KB · Views: 175
  • Like
Reactions: dexterie and StumpyBloke
As already said by wise man, remove the speaker. It can be put back when followed this dismantling process:

Keep in mind it will be ringing still but extremely quiet that in case it won’t be heard until taken close to ear.

I used it for 2 AirTags already, no problems
 
It's not about sharing. When I get in the car, my Airtag sometimes starts beeping. I also have one at home, which starts beeping when I touch it.
 
Mine in my car does that. It beeps whenever it looses contact with the wifi at the house.
It would be nice if the AirTags had settings for different applications. A tag in a suitcase or purse should alert you when it gets too far from your phone. A tag in a car is very annoying when it does this, because that happens whenever you park and go into a store.
- Then it would need conditional alerts. User has left the house, but the AirTag is still in the house. That is fine for a camera bag or luggage, but not for a purse with your driver's licence in it.
 
Algr said:
Mine in my car does that. It beeps whenever it looses contact with the wifi at the house.
It would be nice if the AirTags had settings for different applications. A tag in a suitcase or purse should alert you when it gets too far from your phone. A tag in a car is very annoying when it does this, because that happens whenever you park and go into a store.
- Then it would need conditional alerts. User has left the house, but the AirTag is still in the house. That is fine for a camera bag or luggage, but not for a purse with your driver's licence in it.
Click to expand...

while i agree there should be more settings to customize airtags linked to your accounts, but the beeping is used as 'anti-stalking features' intentionally designed to beep the airtags when they are moved and are not within range of the paired device.

the airtags should only beep if your phone is not with you, is powered off, or has bluetooth turned off. airtags do not use wifi at all.
 
Well that is an issue. Anti-stalking pretty much directly conflicts with anti-theft, since it will alert the car thief that he is being tracked.
 
Algr said:
Well, what is the primary reason you'd need cell towers to find your items?
Click to expand...
Airtags do not communicate with cell towers. They primarily use Bluetooth and U1 Ultra Wideband for precision location finding.

The Find My network allows the location data to be shared with you when away from your device and other iPhones are present.

I use them all the time at home to locate keys, glasses, wallet, and small bags and backpacks. If i leave the office without my spare keys, not only will I be notified on my phone, I can quickly pull up where they last pinged from. I tend to misplace things easily and the airtags help greatly.

They can be used to help track a stolen item, but they arent anti-theft devices. Do i have one with the speaker removed hidden on my bike? Yes. Do I believe having one will prevent it from being stolen? No.
 
Algr said:
A tag in a car is very annoying when it does this, because that happens whenever you park and go into a store.
Click to expand...
The AirTag will not beep when you walk away with it. It will beep when it thinks it's moving with an iPhone that does not belong to the AirTag's owner and the owner's iPhone is out of range.

For example, the AirTag on my key ring will not beep when I'm out and about with my wife (and her phone), because my phone is also with me. If I were to give her my keys and she were to leave the house without me, then the AirTag would beep.

So if you leave one in your car, park and walk away, it will not be beeping inside your car because it's not moving with someone else's phone... unless they take the car with them.

If the AirTag in your own car, paired with your own phone, is beeping when you move your car and are in possession of your phone, then likely the AirTag's battery is dying and it's not correctly communicating with your phone (or you've put it in a place where the BT signal is too weak due to surrounding materials or other sources of RF interference).

FYI, iOS 17 does have a way to share an AirTag so my wife can take my keys, for example, without it activating the anti-stalking features. But both phones must be on iOS 17 and the recipient gets notified that the sharing is offered.
 
xraydoc said:
The AirTag will not beep when you walk away with it.
Click to expand...

I keep the AirTag in the car, and then go into the store with my phone. It would act like I forgot my bag in the parking lot, and notify me that the tag is no longer near me.

It actually stopped doing this a while ago, but I don't know why. Maybe Apple updated it to understand the situation? It still beeps whenever I leave my house - I assume it is losing touch with the home wifi, but I don't know why it thinks that is important.
 
Algr said:
I keep the AirTag in the car, and then go into the store with my phone. It would act like I forgot my bag in the parking lot, and notify me that the tag is no longer near me.

It actually stopped doing this a while ago, but I don't know why. Maybe Apple updated it to understand the situation? It still beeps whenever I leave my house - I assume it is losing touch with the home wifi, but I don't know why it thinks that is important.
Click to expand...

Airtags dont use wifi, they do not have a wifi radio at all.

If you have location services enabled and your home defined as your home (via homekit location) or if it is saved as a 'significant location', the iPhone will not notify when you leave airtags behind at home, otherwise when you left you could have tons of notifications warning you leave something behind, when its safe and sound at your own home.

www.apple.com

Legal - Location Services & Privacy- Apple

Data & Privacy
www.apple.com

However if you are not near your airtags for long enough and someone moves the airtag while your phone is not in range, it will chime. They do not have to be following/detected by another phone, just not be near yours. This is very easy to test.

They should alert in the car scenario you describe, if for example you left your airtagged backback in the car at the grocery store. the phone detects you are not at home and was previously connected, and you have walked away/left it behind.
 
Algr said:
I keep the AirTag in the car, and then go into the store with my phone. It would act like I forgot my bag in the parking lot, and notify me that the tag is no longer near me.
Click to expand...
You can turn this off in Find My. Go to the item, and turn off 'notify when left behind'.

I also have an AirTag in my car. And it's never beeped when leaving home. Make sure the battery is good in it so it doesn't lose track of your phone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: arc of the universe
addamas said:
As already said by wise man, remove the speaker. It can be put back when followed this dismantling process:

Keep in mind it will be ringing still but extremely quiet that in case it won’t be heard until taken close to ear.

I used it for 2 AirTags already, no problems
Click to expand...
i read that even after speaker removal it beeps.
 
If it's annoying for your partner, imagine how it feels to be your cat with much better hearing *and* have the beep right next to its ear. Better remove it before your cat decides to kill you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fred Zed
addamas said:
Yes it does but very quiet. Have to keep it close to ear to listen. If AirTag is some keychain case it’s dead silent
Click to expand...
Yeah thanks. I tested it, it’s so quiet I doubt it’ll upset the cat. While she was sleeping I selected “play sound” for the AirTag and her ears or self didn’t even flitch.
 
  • Like
Reactions: addamas
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back